2015 PORSCHE Panamera S E-Hybrid Review

The Zuffenhausen people may be adored for their love of motorsport, but we mustn’t forget that the German automaker has always pursued the newest of technologies. Thanks to that, Porsche is currently the only carmaker in the world that has three plug-in hybrid models in its line-up.

The 918 Spyder is far beyond most mortals’ reach, which leaves us to talk about the pair of S E-Hybrid aces up Porsche’s sleeve. The 2014 Panamera was the one to introduce the S E-Hybrid hardware, with the Cayenne borrowing it for the 2015 model, which once again goes to show the importance of the petrol-electric sports sedan.

The Panamera had a hybrid version before the mid-cycle revamp, the S Hybrid, but that was Porsche experimenting with electric assistance. While the Audi-sourced supercharged V6 remained in place, the electrical side of the deal was seriously beefed-up, moving from a hybrid to a plug-in hybrid.

You know Porsche facelifts, they will always be focused on the stuff under the body panels, so you need to get close to the Panamera in order to spot the visual changes. The front and rear fascias, as well as the light clusters at both ends have been touched. Squint a little and you’ll also be able to notice the rear hatch is slightly different.

Interestingly enough, the S E-Hybrid is probably the easiest to recognize of the entire line-up and it’s all thanks to a color that looks just as mind boggling as its name sounds: Acid Green. All that was required for this hue to set the hybrid apart were a few touches, such as the badging or the brake calipers. In case the hue seems familiar, it may be because of the 918 Spyder or the 997 911 Turbo S Edition 918 Spyder.

The Panamera’s styling has always been polarizing, even among Porsche enthusiasts. However, if design is what keeps you from purchasing one, the next generation should have this covered - Porsche CEO Matthias Mueller recently admitted the Panamera’s styling, as well as its cabin, do have a few shortcomings and promised these will be addressed by the next generation.

You really need to be a good friend of these German machines to spot the difference the mid-cycle refresh makes when it comes to the cabin. Still, once again the S E-Hybrid distinguishes itself from the rest of the range.

Yes, Acid Green is also present inside the car, albeit only on the dashboard instrument needles, as well as the tachograph signaling the presence of the optional Sports Chrono package.

Instead, the meter we are talking about replaced the analogue speedometer. Moreover, the multifunctional screen on the left of the instrument cluster now features hybrid-specific menus, which is the same about the central infotainment display.

The Panamera seems like it’s always been prepared for the introduction of a serious hybrid model, since the refinement of such a powertrain goes perfectly well with that of the cabin. The premium atmosphere you get when you climb aboard the Panamera is a perfect match for the sophisticated feel of the hybrid technology.

In case you’re looking to the extra rear space the Panamera’s interior has always cried for, the revamp has brought the Executive models, which treat their occupants with an extra 5.9 inches (15 cm) of wheelbase. Mind you, there's no S E-Hybrid Executive - the engineering costs wouldn’t have been justified.

From the rear seat, you can’t tell you’re in the S E-Hybrid, but you’ll notice it when you want to load some luggage. The boot capacity goes down 4 cubic feet (113 liters) to 11.8 cubic feet (335 liters).

Right now we’re in the middle of the city and in search for any large gathering of people. We just want to step outside the car and let everybody know this is a 416 hp Porsche that only sips 3.1 liters per 100 km. There’s no typo here, the S E-Hybrid comes with an official efficiency rating of 50 MPGe. Of course, this stands for the first hundred of km, when the battery is full. A real-world figure is probably closer to 59 mpg (4l/100 km). As for the overall efficiency throughout the drive, this sat at 30 mpg (7.8l/100 km). By the way, the thing can be gifted with an 100 liter (26.4 gallons) fuel tank, so the driving range can climb to values north of 1,200 km (750 miles).

Impressed. This is how we felt after registering such values with a five-meter Porsche whose power combines the 333 hp supercharged V6 of an Audi S4 with an electric motor for an output of 416 hp.

Usually with hybrid vehicles, the game of driving the car in an optimal manner is enough to keep you entertained. But this is a Porsche, so you can also play with the dynamic stuff whenever you feel like it. As a result, the Panamera S E-Hybrid feels a bit like an arcade room.

The Panamera was never all too comfortable to drive inside the city. This Porsche is as wide as a supercar and mixed with the low driving position, this brings certain limitation for the driver. The tight ground clearance doesn’t help with the relaxation either, but this part depends on which type of city you live in.

Once you cross the urban borders, the Panamera shows its best sides. Zuffenhausen’s engineers are some of the most trust-worthy in the industry, so don’t except any shortcomings from the hybrid works. The internal combustion engine and the electric motor work in perfect harmony. You can use this hybrid to travel in sublime peace.

Thus, the capacity jumps over five times from 1.7 to 9.4 kWh. As for the electric motor, this goes from 47 to 95 hp, while torque only jumps 10 Nm, to 310 Nm (229 lb-ft).

Instead of the seven-speed PDK double clutch box Porsches have accustomed us with, the S E-Hybrid features a torque converter ZF eight-speed automatic. As far as the comfort is concerned, there's no loss here, but the auto is no match for the PDK when you start driving really fast.

As a result, Porsche expects the all-electric driving range to sit between 11 and 22 miles (18 and 36 km), depending on the mood of your right foot. We tried to achieve the maximum value and got very close to it.

The plug-in move has not been without drawbacks though, as it comes with a 250 lbs (115 kg) weight penalty. At 4,619 lbs (2,095 kg), this means the Panamera S E-Hybrid is over 660 lbs (300 kg) heavier than the entry-level model.

Moreover, the S E-Hybrid misses out on a few Porsche technical delicacies you can have on other Panameras. First of all, there’s the PDCC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control) - translating from Porsche’s alphabet soup to English, this means active stabilizer bars. If you’re not familiar with this, we can make a parallel and mention this hardware makes about as much difference in terms of ride and handling as the PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management).

Then we have the PTV Plus (Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus), which brings a rear diff with a high IQ and brakes the inner rear wheel during hard cornering. We understand that the costs for offering optional four-wheel drive on the S E-Hybrid would’ve been far too great and yet the PTV Plus is a much simpler affair.

Truth be told, there are enough Panameras out there without PDCC or PTV Plus, but then again it’s Porsche who has made us addicted to such tech masterpieces.

In the end, the S E-Hybrid can't escape its hefty weight and the lack of the aforementioned systems doesn't help either. Drive this Panamera fast and it will all feel like listening to Ride of the Valkyries.

The 5.5 seconds you need to hit 62 mph (100 km/h) or the 168 mph (270 km/h) top speed only tell a part of the story.

To be more specific, in terms of straight line performance and when driving at up to seven out of ten through the bends, the difference to a petrol-powered Panamera S is quite small. Nonetheless, if you take the car past this level, you'll feel it struggling to fight its mass.

Speaking of which, the driver gets to choose between three modes. The car defaults in a hybrid state. Push the E-Power button and you'll silence the supercharged V6. Then there's the E-Charge mode, which uses a part of the petrol engine's resources to recharge the battery. Still, if you mash the throttle and the car knows you're into serious stuff it will pause the charging until you change your attack mood. Using the E-Charge mode, it took us about 30 miles (48 km) to replenish the mana.

When you want to charge the vehicle yourself, you'll have to spend at least 2.5 hours to brim the battery. That value is given for when connecting the car to an industrial outlet (400V) using the on-board charger and the standard Porsche Universal Charger. Using a standard 240V (Europe) socket, the time jumps to 4 hours. As for the 120V outlets, Porsche doesn't offer an official value and you should expect a time of around 8 to 9 hours.

As far as the gadgets are concerned, the most notable point is that the S E-hybrid gets the otherwise optional Porsche Car Connect smartphone app as standard. But wait, there's more.

The default functions of the app allow you to activate certain basic functions of the car remotely, such as folding the mirrors, while you can also track down your car. First of all, you get a set of dedicated functions related to charging and the driving range. Then there's the heating part - the S E-Hybrid has an electrified climate control system and the app allows you to pre-heat or -cool the cabin.

With the Panamera S E-Hybrid, Porsche wants to show us that petrol-electric offerings can juggle with the performance of their gas-powered counterparts while offering the efficiency of diesel-powered machines.

Yes, this Panamera can achieve that, but, in reality, this remains a model dedicated to those customers who fancy the intelligent choice a hybrid represents.

That man or woman who pays north of one hundred grand for a vehicle and then likes to admire its efficiency, its technical bouquet.

The majority of the customers looking for a mid-range Panamera will stick to the 420 hp twin-turbo V6 Panamera S and for good reason. No, the price isn't the drawback here (we'll get to that in a minute).

The whole idea of the Panamera is to offer a four-door flavor of the utterly dynamic Porsche driving experience. Alas, the extra weight and lack of certain optional performance systems make the hybrid fall behind the conventionally-powered Panamera S.

As for the financial side of the deal, Porsche has made sure the S E-Hybrid is an attractive proposal. Despite all the extra tech, the starting price of $96,100 only makes this $2,900 more expensive than a Panamera S. Over in Europe (German market), the difference is just as insignificant - the S E-Hybrid starts at EUR104,221, meaning it's EUR2,400 more expensive than an S - the prices include 19 percent VAT.

We applaud hybrid tech being offered as some sort of an option - in many other cases, the hybrid incarnation of a vehicle is considerably more expensive than its petrol or diesel counterparts.

Whether you like the idea of electrons dancing around in a Porsche or not, you should get used to it. You wouldn't want the future to catch you unprepared, would you?